--- title: Opening, part 28 — Russian Folk-Tales · full text with trees · page 2 description: Opening, part 28, «Russian Folk-Tales» by A. N. Afanas'ev: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: But, although Chufíl-Fílyushka was small, he was no fool! --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/28/page/2/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Russian Folk-Tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/) / Opening, part 28 # Opening, part 28 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/28/) **2** The stepmother saw that she was doing no good, so she again went to the old soothsayer and asked and besought her how she should destroy her stepson.[65](../../65/ "tree and pragmatics") The old woman answered, “As long as the horse is alive nothing can be brought about.[66](../../66/ "tree and pragmatics") But you pretend to be ill, and when your husband comes back tell him, ‘I saw in my sleep that the throat of our foal must be cut and the liver extracted, and I must be rubbed with the liver; then my disease will pass away.’”[67](../../67/ "tree and pragmatics") Some time after the merchant came back, and the son went out to meet him.[68](../../68/ "tree and pragmatics") “Hail, my son!” said the father.[69](../../69/ "tree and pragmatics") “Is all well with you at home?”[70](../../70/ "tree and pragmatics") “All is well, only mother is ill,” he answered.[71](../../71/ "tree and pragmatics") So the merchant unloaded his wares and went home, and he found his wife lying in the bedclothes groaning, saying, “I can only recover if you will fulfil my dream.”[72](../../72/ "tree and pragmatics") So the merchant agreed at once, summoned his son and said, “Now, my son, I want to cut the throat of your horse: your mother is ill, and I must cure her.”[73](../../73/ "tree and pragmatics") So Iván the merchant’s son wept bitterly and said, “Oh, father, you wish to take away from me my last luck!”[74](../../74/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he went into the stable.[75](../../75/ "tree and pragmatics") The foal saw him and said, “My beloved master, I have saved you from three deaths—do you now save me from one.[76](../../76/ "tree and pragmatics") Ask your father that you may go out on my back for the last time to fare in the open fields with your companions.”[77](../../77/ "tree and pragmatics") So the son asked his father for leave to go into the open field for the last time on the horse, and the father agreed.[78](../../78/ "tree and pragmatics") Iván the merchant’s son mounted his horse, leapt into the open field, and went and diverted himself with his friends and companions.[79](../../79/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he sent his father a letter in this wise: “Do you cure my stepmother with a twelve-tongued whip—this is the best means of curing her illness.”[80](../../80/ "tree and pragmatics") He sent this letter with one of his good companions, and himself went into foreign lands.[81](../../81/ "tree and pragmatics") The merchant read the letter, and began curing his wife with a twelve-tongued whip: and she very soon recovered.[82](../../82/ "tree and pragmatics") The merchant’s son went out into the open field, into the wide plains, and he saw horned cattle grazing in front of him.[83](../../83/ "tree and pragmatics") So the good horse said, “Iván the merchant’s son, let me go free at will, and do you pull three little hairs out of my tail: whenever I can be of service to you burn a single hair, and I shall appear at once in front of you, like a leaf in front of the grass.[84](../../84/ "tree and pragmatics") But you, good youth, go to the herd, buy a bull and cut its throat; dress yourself in the bull’s hide, put a bladder on your head, and wherever you go, whatever you are asked about, answer only this one word, ‘Idonotknow.’”[85](../../85/ "tree and pragmatics") Iván the merchant’s son let his horse go free, dressed himself in the bull’s hide, put a bladder on his head, and went beyond the seas.[86](../../86/ "tree and pragmatics") On the blue sea there was a ship a-sailing.[87](../../87/ "tree and pragmatics") The ship’s crew saw this marvel—an animal which was not an animal, a man that was not a man, with a bladder on his head and with fur all round him.[88](../../88/ "tree and pragmatics") So they sailed up to the shore in a light boat and began to ask him and to inquire of him.[89](../../89/ "tree and pragmatics") Iván the merchant’s son only returned one answer, “Idonotknow.”[90](../../90/ "tree and pragmatics") “If it be so, then your name must be ‘Donotknow.’”[91](../../91/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the ship’s crew took him, carried him on board the boat, and they sailed to their King.[92](../../92/ "tree and pragmatics") May-be long, may-be short, they at last reached a capital city, went to the King with gifts, and informed him of Donotknow.[93](../../93/ "tree and pragmatics") So the King bade the portent be presented before his eyes.[94](../../94/ "tree and pragmatics") So they brought Donotknow into the palace, and the people came up from all parts, seen and unseen, to gaze on him.[95](../../95/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the King began to ask him, “What sort of a man are you?”[96](../../96/ "tree and pragmatics") “Idonotknow.”[97](../../97/ "tree and pragmatics") “From what lands have you come?”[98](../../98/ "tree and pragmatics") “Idonotknow.”[99](../../99/ "tree and pragmatics") “From what race and from what place?”[100](../../100/ "tree and pragmatics") “Idonotknow.”[101](../../101/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the King put Donotknow into the garden as a scarecrow, to frighten the birds from the apple trees, and he bade him be fed from his royal kitchen.[102](../../102/ "tree and pragmatics") Now this king had three daughters: the elder ones were beautiful, but the younger fairer still.[103](../../103/ "tree and pragmatics") Very soon the son of the King of the Arabs began asking for the hand of the youngest daughter, and he wrote to the King with threats such as this, “If you do not give her to me of your good will, I will take her by force.”[104](../../104/ "tree and pragmatics") This did not suit the King at all, so he answered the Arab prince in this wise, “Do you begin the war, and it shall go as God shall will.”[105](../../105/ "tree and pragmatics") So the Prince assembled a countless multitude and laid siege.[106](../../106/ "tree and pragmatics") Donotknow shook off his oxhide, took off his bladder, went into the open fields, burnt one of the hairs, and cried out in a grim voice with a knightly whistle.[107](../../107/ "tree and pragmatics") From some source or other a wondrous horse appeared in front of him, and the steed galloped up, and the earth trembled.[108](../../108/ "tree and pragmatics") “Hail, doughty youth, why do you want me so speedily?”[109](../../109/ "tree and pragmatics") “Go and prepare for war!”[110](../../110/ "tree and pragmatics") So Donotknow sat on his good horse, and the horse asked him, “Where shall I carry you—aloft, under the trees, or over the standing woods?”[111](../../111/ "tree and pragmatics") “Carry me over the standing woods.”[112](../../112/ "tree and pragmatics") So the horse raised himself from the earth and flew over the hostile host.[113](../../113/ "tree and pragmatics") Then Donotknow leapt upon the enemies, seized a warlike sword from one of them, tore a golden helmet from another of them, and put them on himself; covered his face with the visor, and set to slaying the Arab host.[114](../../114/ "tree and pragmatics") Wherever he turned, heads flew: it was like mowing hay.[115](../../115/ "tree and pragmatics") The King and the Princess looked on in amazement from the city wall: “What a mighty hero it must be\![116](../../116/ "tree and pragmatics") Whence has he come?[117](../../117/ "tree and pragmatics") Is it Egóri the Brave who has come to help us?”[118](../../118/ "tree and pragmatics") But they never imagined that it was Donotknow whom the King had set in the garden as a scarecrow.[119](../../119/ "tree and pragmatics") Donotknow slew many of that host, and even more than he slew his horse trampled down, and he left only the Arab Prince alive and ten men as a suite to see him home.[120](../../120/ "tree and pragmatics") After this great combat he rode back to the town wall and said, “Your kingly Majesty, has my service pleased you?”[121](../../121/ "tree and pragmatics") Then the King thanked him and asked him in as a guest.[122](../../122/ "tree and pragmatics") But Donotknow would not come.[123](../../123/ "tree and pragmatics") He leapt into the open field, sent away his good horse, turned back home, put on the bladder and the bull’s hide, and began to walk about in the garden, as before, just like a scarecrow.[124](../../124/ "tree and pragmatics") Some time went by, not too much, not too little, and the Arab Prince again wrote to the King, “If you do not give me your youngest daughter’s hand I will burn up all your kingdom and will take her prisoner.”[125](../../125/ "tree and pragmatics") This also did not please the King, and so he wrote in answer that he would await him with his host.[126](../../126/ "tree and pragmatics") Once again the Arab Prince collected a countless host, larger than before, and he besieged the King from all sides, having three mighty knights standing in front.[127](../../127/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/28/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/28/) - next →: [Opening, part 29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/29/) - ↑ back to [Russian Folk-Tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg62509/)